Biotech Values

[Biowatch]

AMGN anemia drug aranasep fails in kidney patient study

* By Linda A. Johnson, AP Business Writer
* On Tuesday August 25, 2009, 5:41 pm EDT
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Amgens-anemia-drug-fails-in-apf-3695620871.html?x=0&.v=2

>>TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Biotech giant Amgen Inc.'s widely used anemia drug Aranesp didn't benefit patients with chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and anemia in a large, late-stage study, the company said Tuesday.

Patients in the 4,038-patient study who got Aranesp as part of their treatment fared no better than those who got a placebo on the study's two main measures. One measure was death from any cause or heart complications such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure or hospitalization; the other measure was the length of time until the patient died or needed to go on chronic kidney dialysis...<<